Strange new world
by L. Byron
Summary: After a long sleep for more than a century, Mina and company wake up to find a world changed. Based on the coppola movie
1. Mina's diary

Author's note. I was going to write this story in Spanish, as it's my native language, but decided to try it in English. This is based on the Coppola movie of 92 but I have taken a few liberties. Only the character Lucy doesn't look like she does in Coppola's movie. I loved the Lucy from "curse of Dracula" .com/albums/q217/Taliesin_ttlg/dracula%202002/dracula_

In my story Mina has not been married to Jonathan

The last notes of Wilhelmina Murray's diary.

September 30, 1897 Carpathian Mountains

Jonathan…

It was five months ago but I remember very clearly our last conversation, as he stood in front of me while the other hunters were behind him. My new "Family" was at the entrance of the castle watching us

"So this is what you want?" he asked, his voice without any emotion, but I knew better than that

"Yes, I answered sadly" I did not want to hurt him, but I knew my words had hurt him deeply.

He stared at me one last time and said "Very well…I only wish for you to be happy"

With that he turned and said to Van Helsing "I know now that we can't win this war….Our job is done here"

Van Helsing hesitated for a moment but then I saw resignation on his face.

"We will leave this cursed land and never return" He said to the count in anger

I wanted to say something to Jonathan but I couldn't. I felt the blood tears run down my face as I watched him go, no looking back at me, not shedding a tear. He was the perfect image of the stoic English gentleman that kept his emotions at bay.

As the hunters left, the prince said approaching from behind "Welcome to your new life Mina".

I entered the castle and I saw a familiar figure waiting for us "Lucy" I exclaimed surprised. I see now that the count was not lying about her. A stake can't kill us

Lucy came to me and hugged me, happiness on her face "Now we will be sisters forever" she said.

I stared at her with confusion and asked "B..but why the deception? Why make them believe that you were killed?"

Lucy smiled sadly and answered "Mina.. I love Arthur with all my heart, and I know him well enough to know that he would have followed me to this….life. I needed to make sure that he would continue to live his life normally, without any regrets"

She stared at me in silence and continued "My mother, before she passed away, was the only person who knew what I am about to tell you. A year ago I was diagnosed with a disease. The doctors said it was at an advanced stage and I could not be cured"

I was speechless by this revelation and she continued "They said that I had six or seven months left and that there was nothing that could be done"

She stared at Dracula and said "I had lost all hope, until one night a mysterious foreigner gave me a choice…I did not believe him at first, but I was proven wrong"

We continued our conversation until our dark prince joined us

"Come" he commanded "There is still much you must learn"

Now, five months after those events, I'm writing my last lines on this diary before we go to the long sleep that waits us…. Van Helsing was wrong about us. We are not demons without human emotions.

I am the same as when I was alive. I can feel love, regret, pity, just like the others. I have tasted human blood, but I have not taken a human life

I don't know how long we will sleep. Dracula and his three older companions have explained to Lucy and me

"There are laws that govern the magic of our kind" explained the count "The time has come for me and my children to take a rest of the world"

I knew of the existence of others of our kind "Will the others also rest?" I asked

Dracula laughed softly before he answered

"No. only I, the first of our kind, and those who have been converted by me, are tied to these laws"

He looked at his three older companions and said "I never intended that this...condition would be passed onto others, but my first children have been careless in the past"

Austrian Countess Anastasia Dolingen of grazt, the second oldest of the three, touched her long black hair and answered "I did that only once" she replied and looked down, as if ashamed "I just couldn't bear the thought of losing my older brother"

The Hungarian countess Erzsébet Batory, the oldest of the three, added "I..I was young and naïve…Now I know that I shouldn't have given the dark gift to others"

Dracula Approached her and put comforting hand on her shoulder "I know your intentions were noble" for a moment he seemed to be lost in thought, as if remembering a distant memory

"I know all you wanted was to save them" he added and then stared at Lucy and me "But we all must remember that not everyone can't receive our gift…I chose all of you very carefully"

The youngest bride, Laura Karnstein of Styria, laughed softly and said "Well, in my case it was Erzsébet, and not you, who brought me to the castle"

Dracula smiled "Perhaps, but it was I, and not her, who turned you".

We kept talking until the time came for the ceremony to be performed. A few of Dracula's servants, men loyal to the death, came to the room. Dracula left a few instructions to them, giving documents to their chief.

"I trust you, and your descendants, will take good care of the castle and my lands while we are gone"

The man bowed his head and said "We will my lord" then he, and the other men left the room.

Now diary, it's time to say goodbye as our dark prince is about to start the ceremony…

I wonder how much will the world change while we sleep


	2. waking up

Mina's POV

What is time? Here, in the land between the other side and earth, time is of no importance, as are all earthly worries.

In my perspective we have been here for about a week, but Dracula and his oldest companion Erzsebet, the only ones who have been here before, have explained to the rest of us that in this place time is perceived differently than on the mortal plane.

When the moment came to go back, The dark prince received a visit from a girl, her name is Elizabeta and she is almost identical to me. He often spoke to us about her and how much I reminded him of her, not just my face but also my personality.

She looked at us all, a bright smile on her face, and said "Heaven is waiting for all of you…all you have to do is grab my hand and come with me."

She extended her hand to Dracula, who looked at her with longing.

"My beloved…twice have you offered me this choice"

I asked with confusion "B..but how can we can go into heaven without receiving true death?"

Elizabeta laughed softly and answered "You are all dead already. Only by the use of ancient alchemy have you accomplished to cheat the natural laws God gave to the universe…And only by your own free will you will truly die"

Dracula answered "You know very well why I did it. When you were taken away from me, I took an oath to protect my people, in life or death, and I felt one lifetime was not enough to carry my work….Besides I wanted to see the different ages of the world, see how humanity would advance"

Elizabeta looked at him with pity and reached out to caress his face "I know that my love, but I think it's time to come home…all your loved ones have been waiting for far to long"

Dracula seemed doubtful for a moment; he looked back at us and smiled

He was about to answer but I interrupted him, calling him by his real name

"Vlad…You have earned the eternal rest….I..I don't know how, but I feel It's my duty to carry on with your legacy" I looked at them all and continued "Perhaps that's why you gave me your own blood"

It seemed to be so. Of his five children, only I drank from his own blood. I was the youngest but only I had his powers of controlling the elements and wild animals.

"This existence goes against the natural laws of the universe, but somehow I know this is the will of God" I said turning to Elizabeta.

Dracula stared at me with surprise

"Go with her" I said

He approached me and gave me a ring "This ring is the symbol of my authority…my only worry is that you are still young and have much to learn"

At that, Anastasia approached us and said "Don't worry…I'm not tired yet of the world and I feel my time has not come yet…I will teach her the ways of our kind"

Lucy smiled and said "We are sisters forever… I will go with you".

Erzsebet and Laura also decided to stay with me.

"I have passed all my powers and my authority to you" Dracula said to me. "When you wake up, you must perform the same ceremony I did to bring your sisters back. Do you remember how it was done?"

I recited to him the magic formula and he smiled in satisfaction.

He hugged each of us, and finally looked at his oldest companion "We have been together for centuries" he said, tears on his face "Are you sure you don't want to come with us? I'm sure many people are waiting for you"

Erzsebeth smiled and said "Just give them my love"

With that he turned and joined his mortal love, the one that has been taken away by the turks when he was alive.

"Remember…when you feel that you are ready to come home, just call my name" Elizabeta said before they disappeared in a bright light"

Now, as I prepare to say the words and go back to the world, I look at my sisters. "I am a little nervous" I confess to them "I don't know what I will find when I wake up".

Erzsebet smiled at me and said reassuringly "Don't worry Mina…I have done this two times. I'm sure Vlad's men will be waiting for our return"

I stared at them all and then the words came out of my mouth.

Just as I said the words my vision became blurry and then there was only darkness.

Voices… I can hear voices.

I open my eyes, and I found myself laying on my coffin. There are many voices coming from outside

As I slowly open my coffin, I could heard someone gasping in fright

"What madness is this?" I heard a woman screaming in perfect English

"I am an American citizen" I heard another voice, a man "I'm sure there will be people looking for us".

When finally I sat on my coffin and took a look at my surroundings, I heard someone screaming in terror.

"My God" a Man said

There were 7 people in the room, six of them were tied down in some chairs and the other, a man who had some resemblance to the chief of Vlad's men, perhaps he is a descendant.

He approached me, confusion on his face. He bowed his head in sign of respect, and said in Romanian "My lady, where is lord Vlad?"

I showed him the ring on my hand and said "The dark prince will not come back"

His surprise grew, but he bowed again "We have prepared everything for your arrival my lady" he said as he looked at the people tied to the chairs. "I take my leave now" he said and then left the room

Once I was alone, I stared at them and I could see their terror and confusion

"What were you saying? Do any of you speak in English?" one of them said

"What are you going to do with us" another said

I can feel the thirst coming to me as I leave the coffin and stand in front of them.

I look at each of them, noticing the strange clothing they all wear, and that makes me wonder how long I was asleep. One of them is a man who looks to be in his mid 40's, the others, two girls and three boys look, like they are in their late teens.

There will be time for introductions, for now I prepare myself to wake up my sisters.

I turn to look at the coffins and recite the words. Soon a powerful wind enters the room and I could hear the "guests" screaming in panic.

As I finish the ritual, I approached the coffins as they begin to open

Soon, each of my sisters leaves their coffins and join me

After a small talk, Lucy is the first to notice our guests "well well Mina" she said playfully "You had time to prepare for our arrival"

Since she spoke in English, the oldest of the group said with a nervous voice

"Young miss…I heard you speak in English"

Lucy gave him a bright smile "Americans. I can recognize the accent"

The man said "I think this joke has gone to far…I have been to Hollywood before, and I have seen far better effects and makeup. Where are the hidden cameras? Is this the idea of a tv joke in Romania? Your version of scare tactics?"

"umm, what?" Erzsebet said in her accented English. She stared at me and asked "Did you understand what he just said?"

I stared at her, and my own confusion gave her the answer.

"Oh, come on" said the man again "This vampire joke has gone too far"

"What?" I asked with surprise "How do you know of our kind?" I knew very well that very few people ever heard of our existence. People like Van Helsing, who was an expert on the occult.

Anastasia approached him, astonishment on her face "Your words are strange, but I'm afraid this is not a joke". She then turned into mist and reappeared right next to his chair

At that moment, one of the girls, one with blond hair and blue eyes, began to sob. Laura kneeled in front of her, and said softly "You have no reason to be afraid of us, we are not going to kill you"

For a moment there was a silence, and I noticed my sisters were staring at me, as if waiting for me to do something. Understanding I stared at Erzsebet

"You are the oldest" I said "You should be the first"

Erzsebet smiled at me, and then approached the blond girl that Laura was trying to calm

"Please don't" the girl said with panic

"My God, you are so beautiful" she said softly, as she gently touched the girl's face with her hands.

The poor girl trembled as tears began to fall from her eyes

"Shhh Baby don't cry. ..My sister has told you already that we are not going to kill you. All I need is just a little blood"

She brought her mouth to the girl's neck and bit her. After a while, she stopped drinking and then broke the ropes that were tying the girl.

The girl was so weak by the blood loss that she would have fallen to the ground, but Erzsebet caught her in her arms

"See, that wasn't so bad" Batory said as a mother would her child.

Anastasia and Lucy were next. they drank from two boys that wore strange blue jackets that had written the words "SPARTANS" on the front.

I saw Laura approach the other girl. I was a little curious to see her face, for all this time she had her head lowered, and a long green hair covered her face.

Laura put her hand on the girl's chin and raised her head.

"My God" Lucy said.

At first I found odd that someone would dye her hair green, but I didn't give that much thought. Now, as I see her face, I have to wonder what has happened when we were away. She had earrings on her nose, lips and eyebrows. She had black lipstick and a face paler than a vampire's.

The oddest thing was that she was smiling, she didn't show any fear and even put her head aside, as if inviting Laura to bite her.

Laura's eyes were wide open with surprise, and she seemed doubtful for a moment.

When Laura finally bit the girl, the boy that hasn't been bitten said with disdain "Goth freak. I bet she is enjoying all this"

Despite having a vampire drinking on her, the girl turned and said "I rather be a freak than a brainless jock"

Finally I decided it was my time. My eyes were set on the older man and I saw his face getting paler as I approached him. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I kneeled and looked at his eyes.

"Don't be afraid" I said softly, trying to calm him down "This won't cause you any pain, I promise I'll be gentle"

The man stared at me in panic and said "Please… just let us go"

I touched his face and he flinched by my cold touch "I am afraid I can't do that…yet"

Then I bit him on his neck and drank his blood, paying little attention to his desperate attempts to break free from the bonds that tied him to the chair. Soon his struggles grew weaker as I drank more

"Please" he whispered

I stopped drinking and stared at his face

"I'm sorry I took that much, but I was starving" I said as I released him from the ropes and took him in my arms.


	3. Introductions

When Adrian Lupescu left the room he breathed with relief

"I can't believe this is all real" he thought. He had hoped the tales were wrong, that his ancestors simply made this up to scare peasants.

"I take the dark prince is not coming back… Was Madam Mina pleased?" asked an old man

Adrian stared at his father with surprise and said "How do you know this?. I still don't understand how you knew what was going to happen today, and the exact hour… How did you know Dracula was not coming back?"

The old man laughed and answered "I may have passed the leadership of our…organization to you, my son, but I still have to train you on the mystical arts"

Adrian, who until now only worked on the normal business of the group, never paying any attention to his father's tales of their true origins, stared at his father and asked "They slept for far too long… I wonder how are we going to tell them what has happened in the last 115 years?"

His father smiled and said "I suppose the Americans can do that"

Adrian seemed surprised "Y..you mean they are not going to kill them?"

The old man sighed "You have seen to many movies son.. How many time have I told you that they are not the monsters that demented writer from Ireland portrayed them to be?"

They talked for a while until the door opened and Mina came out

Mina's Pov

After I put my "victim" on a bed, I went to the door to see if Vlad's men were waiting for us.

I opened the door, and saw the man that was waiting for our arrival talking with an old man who was dressed entirely in black.

When the old man noticed my presence he bowed and said "My lady"

After our proper introduction, I see that I was not wrong with my first impression on him. Adrian Lupescu and his father Vladimir do bear a striking resemblance to their ancestor.

"Is there something you need Madam Mina?" Vladimir asked

"Nothing for us" I answered "Just tell your men to bring some food for our guests. I assume you already know that they need nourishment to recover"

He smiled at me and said "It will be done my lady…Perhaps later we will talk more. I'm sure you do have many questions"

I smiled in return and said "There will be time for that; right now I just want to be a good host for our guests"

Adrian bowed and said "It will be done, my lady", then they both walked away in the long stairs that lead to the lower part of the castle.

I closed the door and went to join my sisters. They were standing in front of the beds were our "guest" were resting. Lucy had already released the boy that wasn't bitten and he went to join his companions.

They were looking at us in fright, except that odd looking girl, who was staring at us with fascination.

I decided to break the ice by introducing myself "My Name is Wilhelmina Murray but my friends call me Mina"

My sisters fallowed my example and each of them introduced themselves. I noticed the odd stares, both the strange girl and the middle aged man, gave us when we said our names.

"I have given instructions to bring you food. You all have lost a lot of blood, and are in need of nourishment to recover" I said to them, trying to calm down their fears.

They all looked at each other, doubt on their faces, and finally one of the boy asked "S.. so you a.. are not going to kill us?"

Anastasia sighed and answered "We have told you already…No harm will come to you"

There was an awkward silence again, until Erzsebet said "Proper customs surely must have changed…We have already introduced ourselves to you, and yet you have not done so"

The middle aged man was the first to answer "M.. my name is John Smith. I'm a high school teacher on literature and history, and these are my students"

Then each of them introduced themselves.

"My name is Mary Henderson" said the blond girl "I am the cheerleader captain in my high school"

I did not understand what she meant by that, but decided not to interrupt and ask the questions later.

The blond boy next to her said "I'm Michael Donovan, captain and quarterback of the school's football team" He then grabbed Mary's hand and said "I'm her boyfriend"

Another blond boy, the youngest of them all, said "My name is James Donovan. I'm Michael's brother"

The green haired girl said "I'm Veronica Adams…I just can't believe you are all real" she said with excitement.

Finally, it was time for the brown haired boy that wasn't bitten. He seemed a little bit reluctant to say his name at first "My name is Edward, Edward Cullen" For some strange reason, the others laughed at this.

He stared angrily at his companions, and said "Now, don't start with the jokes again. My parents gave me that name long before that twilight crap"

He looked down and said to himself "When I return to America, the first thing I'm going to do is change my name"

Laura, who was as confused as all of us, asked "But that is a beautiful name…I don't see what is wrong with it"

James stared at his companion and answered "Nothing wrong for a vampire that sparkles in sunlight. Right Edward?"

"What!" I asked in unison with my sisters.

"It all makes sense now" I heard John say.

At my confusion he said to me

"From what you have told us, you have just woken after a long rest?"

"Yes" answered Erzsebet with curiosity

John continued "Was it in the year 1897 when it happened?"

I stared at him with astonishment,

"How do you know this?" asked Lucy

Anastasia added "Are you some kind of wizard?"

This time it was Veronica who spoke "Of course" she said "Your clothing, your confusion that we have heard of vampires" she stared at us and added "A lot has changed in the world…vampires and vampirism are part of popular culture on this age"

Our surprise grew when she, and the professor, gave us a brief explanation on literature.

"Where did that Stoker get the information" I thought to myself as John said the names of Jonathan, Arthur, Jack seward, Quincey Morris, Abraham Van Helsing

At one moment, the professor said "What I don't understand is how the story of Carmilla is related to Dracula?" He stared at both Erzsebet and Laura, and asked "Are you lovers as it's written by Le Fanu"

Laura's mouth was wide open and Erzsebet answered with difficulty "No….we ARE not lovers". Laura Added "I remember that man, Sheridan Le fanu, an Irish friend of my father"

Veronica said "You are all famous, at least in certain circles….But don't worry, Vampires are simply seen as mythical creatures. Nobody in his right mind believes you are actually real".

Mary, who has been listening with interest, said "you know. I have a portable dvd in my bag" she said as she pointed at their belongings that were piled on a corner "And I do happen to have the twilights dvd's"

"Oh crap" was all veronica said, while Erzsebet asked with curiosity "What is a Dvd?"

At that moment, someone called at the door. I went to see who it was, and found two girls carrying food for our guest. The girls bowed at me and then entered the room in silence. Once each of the Americans was served, the girls left as fast as they could.

They ate avidly, as if in a hurry, and once they finished, Mary asked "So… do you want to see a movie?"


	4. Movies

I saw as Mary attempted to stand up from the bed, but Lucy stopped her

"You still need to rest…Let me get it for you" she said and then went to get Mary's bag.

"It's the red one" Mary called out and Lucy picked it up.

"So soft" Lucy said as her hands touched the strange material the bag was made of.

Before Lucy gave the bag to Mary, I asked to John "Why are all of you in this part of the world?"

John answered "We are from a small town in Nebraska, and the local high school organized a trip to Europe" he sighed for a moment and continued "We visited Barcelona, Paris, London, Rome. Our local guide convinced us that a trip wouldn't be complete without traveling to eastern Europe…We were in Bucharest when some of us were..abducted and brought here"

"I'm very sorry for that" I said "But as soon as you have rested and recovered, you will be free to go…of course none of you will remember what happened"

After that, Lucy handed the bag to Mary. My sisters and I waited in expectancy.

Mary took out a strange gray device that seemed to be made of metal, then she took out another object and I couldn't help but gasp as I saw a color photography displayed in the front of the object.

"What sort of drawing is this" asked a very shocked Erzsebet, as she extended her hand and touched it "It looks so real"

Lucy answered "Remember what I told you about photograph technology…it seems the technology has advanced"

I saw that in the picture there was a brown haired girl and two boys. One of them had a very pale face, and the other was shirtless and looked like a Native American.

"I just can't believe that their first glimpse to the modern world will be this crap" I heard Veronica say

"Before we begin" said John "Let me assure you than everything you will see, is the result of technology. There is no magic involved" He grabbed the object and said "Think of this as a theater, a play"

He stared at both Lucy and me, and asked "In your times there was already the technology of moving pictures"

"Yes" I said, as I remembered the exhibition of newest technologies in London.

He gave Mary the object, and she opened and extracted some sort of a shining round object

I stared at my sisters and said "Whatever we see here, let's see it in silence and ask questions once it's over" My sisters agreed and we waited in expectation

Despite John's early explanation, I was shocked when Mary inserted the round object in the grey device, and before any image would be seen, I heard a sinister voice "WHY… SO.. SERIOUS? HAHAHAHA" and then another voice as the images of a Man dressed in a very strange black…something, and wearing a mask appeared "From the director of Batman begins.. for the first time ever on blu ray"

I don't know what shocked me most of the rapid succession of images. If the explosion, the vehicles, that Lunatic with the face of a sinister clown. I wanted to ask many questions.

Finally the movie on the disk started, and in the three hours that fallowed we watched a…childish tale. However, more than the story itself, what caught most of my attention were the little things, the details of what a "normal" life was like. The behavior of people, the music they listened, the tools and technology people used on their homes.

As for the story, I found odd the concept of "vegetarian" vampires. I really wish it were possible for us to live on animal blood, but unfortunately only human blood carries the life which we crave. As dracula once said to me "The blood is the life...Because we are dead we thirst for life. The blood itself is of no use, but it's the life that it carries what we desire".

Seeing sparkling vampires was also strange, as well as vampires going to high school and passing as students. I wonder if there are other, what's the word? Movies of vampires, and if there are, how are we portrayed?

When the movie was over, I was afraid to ask my first question

"How long were we asleep?"

I stared at John and asked "What year is this?"

He simple said one word "2012"

I heard the shocked voice of Erzsebet "My God, we slept for far too long"

"115 years" I said to myself in disbelief

Veronica said "I am afraid the world has changed drastically in the past century, more so than in any other era"

Anastasia asked "There was one thing I didn't understand in the movie. I saw that often it was mentioned the word "human", as if making us vampires another species"

"And you aren't" asked a confused Michael

"No" I replied "We may be dead, but we are humans….I don't really like this description, but a vampire is just a human cadaver reanimated by supernatural means"

"She is right" Veronica said "In the old books, the distinction was between vampires and the living. The word human was never used"

What John said next only made me feel more awkward

"Speaking of humanity and other species, there is something you all need to know…It's better to say it now, and not that it blows into you when you go outside" He took a deep breath and continued "Two years ago, on December of 2010, humanity made first contact with aliens"

I stared at my sisters and saw the same confusion I was feeling, and it was Laura who asked

"You may have to forgive us for our ignorance on modern terms, but what is an alien?"


	5. A little travel

Author's notes

In my stories I like to be very specific, so I will give a little background on the characters, from the oldest to the youngest. I also have a mental image of the characters, but of course each reader can imagine them however they like.

Erzsebet Batory. Born on August 07, 1560, Became a vampire on October 11, 1582. My mental image of her is actress Phoebe Cates in the 80's

Anastasia Dolingen. Born on December 12, 1782, became a vampire on September 12, 1801. My image of her is actress Jennifer Connelly when she was in her late teen years

Laura Karnstein. Born on June 09, 1837, became a vampire on July 15, 1855. I imagine her as an older version of actress Anna Sophia Robb

Lucy Westenra. Born on January 03, 1877, became a vampire on September 20, 1896. I imagine her as actress Muriel Baumeister, who played Lucy on the film "Dracula's curse"

Mina Murray. Born of September 05, 1877, Became a vampire on April 30, 1897. I imagine her as Winona Ryder on the Coppola's film

Mina's pov

I saw as John scratched his head "This is going to be difficult to explain. I assume you already know that the earth is not the center of the universe…"

In the next two hours, while his students slept for it was very late at night, John gave us an explanation on how there were planets outside our own solar systems. He talked of galaxies, number of stars in a galaxy, number of galaxies in the universe. That in some planets, like our own, there was life"

I couldn't help but think how vast the universe was, and how little and insignificant we were in comparison. Vampirism itself seemed now of little importance compared to the titanic forces John spoke of. Supernovas, dark energy, black holes and other things which only filled my mind with more confusion

"I feel young again" I heard erzsebet exclaim when he told us the age of the universe. She seemed more confused than the rest of us, and I couldn't blame her. She came from a time when most people thought the earth was only a few thousand years, and was the center of the universe. Now, faced with vastness of creation, she seemed as if her few hundred years as a vampire were nothing in the grand scale of things.

She Noticed that I was staring at her, and smiled "We all have much to learn" she said

"And there is life in all those planets" asked an impressed Lucy

"No" said John. "There has to be very special conditions for life to exist. The planet can't be to far from its star, or to close. The solar system can't be to close to the center of the galaxy, or to far away. Also there are no conditions for life on irregular galaxies, which are the most common type, and elliptical galaxies. The truth is most planets on the universe don't have a friendly environment for the development of life, but the universe is so vast that there still could be millions of civilization out there. In our own galaxy there are hundreds.

Finally, after he finished his explanation, John went to sleep. The sun was coming up, but I didn't feel going back to my coffin. I had slept too much already and I wanted to go out and see the world, but we decided to wait for our guest to wake up.

Later that day, when our American guests awoke, the servants of the castle brought a late breakfast for them. My sisters had gone outside the room to talk to Adrian Lupescu, and tell him of our intentions to go and see this new world. I was left alone to tend our guests

"The sun is up" said Mary "I thought vampires could not go out in sunlight"

I couldn't help but laugh at this "We are indeed nocturnal" I said "And the sun does bother a little and takes away some of our abilities, it also makes us very sleepy"

Later, my sisters returned with Adrian and he said to the Americans "We are ready to take you back to Bucharest"

We hypnotized everyone, making them believe that they had taken a detour to the Carpathians and spent a few days in this castle.

As I watched them go, Lucy stood by mi side and said "I am going to miss them, they were an interesting group"

"Yes" I replied "A part of me feels sorry that they will not remember us for what we truly are" I confessed.

Anastasia approached us and said "I wish we didn't hypnotize them" she stared at us and added "I don't know if you feel the same, but after finding out that we are not alone in the universe, I feel closer to humanity. We may be dead, but these are our people in a universe full of strange beings"

For the rest of the day, we visited the castle with Adrian as our guide. He explained the changes that had been made on it over the years. The castle itself preserved its old feeling, however it was adapted to modern technology

"Those are security cameras" he explained as I noticed strange objects on certain parts of the roof. He seemed to notice our blank stares, and explained "It records anything that happens, and also sends images of what's happening to a control room"

We took out time to know the personnel that worked for us. Most of them seemed unafraid of us, but there were a few who barely contained their nervousness.

"I really wish people wouldn't be afraid of me" I thought

"You must be careful" Adrian said "Only those who work here at the castle are of my people's clan, descendants of the people who served lord Vlad in life and death. However, our organization has expanded its business all over the world, and those that work for us outside the castle don't know anything of vampires, or our true origins"

When the sun was beginning to set, he took us to our rooms in the private part of the castle

"You all have your original rooms, and your personal belongings have been preserved. We have added new sets of modern clothing for each, and also anything that modern technology has to offer. I will send maids to assist you in anything you need, including how to use the modern equipment. Also, we have a jet ready to take you to anywhere in the world"

"Excuse me?" I asked, not understanding his words

He stared at me in confusion and said "Lady Erzsebet told me of your plans to go out and see the world"

He seemed to realize something and added "Forgive me, my lady, but sometimes I forget that you are not yet familiar with modern technology" He took a pause and then explained to us what a "jet" was.

"And it could take us to England in just hours?" I asked, still having a hard time accepting this

He smiled and said "It's a supersonic jet, it can go to anywhere in the world in less than a day.

I can't help but think that our abilities seem now less impressive compared to what modern technology has to offer. We can levitate and float in the air, but not fly as humanity has accomplished. I cannot imagine the sort of technology the aliens posses to make those travels in the vast distances of space.

I talked to my sisters and we agreed to travel that same night. Erzsebet was the more excited about it. Laura had her doubt, but we convinced her.

"Perhaps" Adrian said "You could go with my father on a trip he is going to take in a few hours"

Adrian told us that his father was assisting, in two days, to an event in a city called "Los Angeles" in America. He said the event was organized by something called "the united nations" and the government of the United States of America, to welcome the first alien ambassadors

"My father, as head of one of the biggest corporations in the world, has been invited along with his family" Adrian explained us

I couldn't help, but feel my British pride a little hurt "Why is that event not organized in London" I asked "I'm sure such event should be organized by the British Empire"

Adrian smiled at me and said "I'm afraid, my lady, that you have much to learn on the history of the 20th century".

After we accepted Adrian invitation to accompany his father, he smiled

"Very well" said Adrian "I recommend, my ladies, that you change your clothes into something more…modern"

Three hours later, after I had taken a bath and changed my clothing, I stood at the company's private airport looking, with my eyes wide open, at the Jet.

The airport, as Adrain said, was not far from the castle.

"This is a small airport compared to public ones" he explained "And it's only used when My father, or I, have to travel for business"

His father, Vladimir, looked at us all and said "By the way, very good choice of clothing"

If I were alive, I would have blushed

"Actually" I said "The maid helped me make my decision"

Adrian asked "Did they teach you how to use some of the modern tools that are used everyday.

Laura extracted from her purse the…, what was the name again?, cell phone, and said

"Well, she taught me how to use this…thought I only have the numbers of my sisters. She also tried to show me how to use the….television and the com…computer. I guess I will have to practice more. Right now I'm just trying to get used to the cell phone"

Anastasia laughed "Well, I did learn to use the television. I even got a glimpse of other vampire movie. If I remember the name correctly, it was called The lost boys"

She stared at us and said "Believe me, we are going to have a hard time understanding the young people"

Adrian Laughed "That movie was made in 1987. Trust me; young people are even weirder now"

He handed each of us a document "Here are your passports" he said "A british for Mina and Lucy, Hungarian for Erzsebet, and austrian for Laura and Anastasia"


	6. City of Angels

Mina's pov

The travel lasted for about 12 hours, during which Vladimir showed us a video

"A historian friend of mine has prepared this video that explains the most important events of the 20th century, and the beginning of the 21th century. I think is very important that you, my ladies, learn what has happened in the past 115 years in order to understand the modern world"

With my sisters, I watched with interest the three hour long video. A part of me marveled at the advances of the technology described on the video, or the social progress of women in modern society. However, I felt mostly repulsion from most of the things the video showed.

War, genocide, totalitarian regimes, the 20th century was the bloodiest century in human history. Before it, number of victims in any conflict could be counted as hundreds or thousands, but now the numbers were in millions.

For the first time in my life I saw erzsebet wept, as the video showed images of the Nazis concentration camp, and how an entire race was led to extermination

"My God" was all I could say when the power of the atomic bomb was shown. It seemed that most of the advances that has been created by humanity have been applied to war

"And they call us monsters" Laura managed to say.

I finally understood what happened to the British Empire, and I could not help but shed tears as I saw London bombarded by the German air force. "Was any of my friends still alive?" I wondered "Jonathan, Arthur, Jack, quince" my thoughts went with them.

However, there was also hope. I saw images of leaders and scientist such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Einstein, and others that brought the best of humanity

The beginning of the 21th century was not as bloody as the 20th century, but there were still many horrors. Terrorism, intolerance, drugs.

"They seem so loss" Lucy commented on the younger generations. Technology seemed to have replaced human contact.

When the video was over, Anastasia commented to us "I don't know if I will ever adapt to this modern world…we are relics of the past, when the world was much simpler"

Erzsebet put a hand on Anastasia shoulder and said reassuringly "Don't worry, we still have each other and I'm sure we will adjust"

The rest of the travel went without any incident. We would occasionally look out at the window, marveling at the sight and the mere fact that we were flying.

"You know" said to me a Nervous Laura "This is the first time in my life that I go outside Eastern Europe. The only lands I know Is Austria, Hungary and Romania.

"Well" I answered "I only traveled outside England once, when we were chasing Dracula from London to Transylvania, and I didn't see much of the foreign lands"

Lucy added "I just can't believe we are actually going to America" for a moment she seemed lost in a memory and continued "I wonder if Quincey's descendents live there".

When we arrived at what Vladimir called "L.A. International airport" and got out of the jet, my vampire senses were overwhelmed by all the lights, noise and activities. All the people seemed to be in a hurry and moved fast. I stared at my sisters and they seemed lost. Lucy and I were accustomed to the life in London in the late 19th century, but that did not prepare us for this.

We fallowed Vladimir into a black vehicle that was parked outside the airport "This vehicle is a limousine" he explained to us "And don't worry, our driver belongs to my clan so you can confide in him"

"Look at the buildings" said Anastasia as the vehicle drove into the city

"They are called Skyscrapers" Vladimir explained to us as we ventured further in the city.

"How many people live here?" asked Erzsebet, she seemed very impressed by the size of it, and I couldn't blame her. I remember that by the end of the 19th century, London and its suburbs, with 6 million people was by far the biggest city in the world. Yet it seemed little in comparison.

Laura asked "Is this the biggest city in the world?"

Vladimir laughed and said "L.A., and its surrounding area, has a population of some 15 million people. And no, it's not biggest city in the world, it's not even among the top 10. At the moment the capital of Japan, Tokyo, with some 34 million, holds that position

It was very late at night, but there was so much activity on the streets, and so many artificial lights, that it seemed as if it were daytime.

"Our destination is a manor located on Holmby hills" Vladimir said "Is very isolated and has a magnificent view over the rest of the city".

After a while we reached our destination. The first thing that came to my mind, when I saw the manor, was the English countryside for it was built in a British style.

As if reading what was on my mind, Vladimir smiled and said "Its an 18th century English manor. It was brought here in the 50's by my father"

We entered the manor and I could sense the ancient air surrounding us. My sisters seemed to be relieved we were not going to stay in one of those modern looking buildings.

After we left our belongings in the rooms, Erzsebet said with a smile "I don't know if you feel the same, but this trip has left me kind of hungry"

She stared at the driver and Vladimir and asked with a smile "I don't suppose there is an isolated forest nearby where I could find some local villagers"

The driver laughed and said "Well, the closest forest is just north of the city, on the Los Angeles national forest, but I think any park within the city might just do as well"

We all agreed to go but Vladimir warned us of something

"Be very careful not to gain too much attention. Also, you must know that other supernatural forces have come to the city in the past few days"

"What?" I asked, surprised by this revelation.

He stared at us all and said "I don't know if Lord Vlad told you this, but there are other powers in this world. Some of these forces are older and more powerful than the magic used by lord Vlad to create vampirism. Most of these powers have been dormant or have not interfered with humanity for a long time"

Erzsebet said "In all my years with him, he never told me that. Why do you think these…powers are back and coming here?"

Vladimir scratched his head and answered

"I suppose it's because of the aliens. Some of these powers were charged by the creator to rule the earth before the coming of men. Now forces outside earth are coming, and we don't know if they represent a threat. You must understand that these powers and old magics are earthbound, so they have no way to know or interfere in what is happening in the rest of the universe"

We left the manor with these thought in our minds "What was out there besides vampires?" I wondered, and the famous Shakespeare quote "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" sounded very real


	7. strange meeting

Author's notes: This is not a crossover history, however I might borrow some elements from Tolkien and also a few of the alien races might be based on races of some tv shows, but just the concept

Mina's pov

The driver took us to a park that seemed to be very dark, despite being in the middle of the city.

"That park is very big and has many spots where you could feed without being disturbed" the driver said "I will wait for you".

I raised my hands and commanded mist to form in the park, which would make it easier for us to pass unnoticed.

As the mist covered the park, We all took different paths and now I'm walking all alone looking for a prey.

After a while, when I was beginning to wonder if there was anyone on the park, my ears picked up the sound of footsteps. I moved faster towards the source of the noise until I saw a lone figure walking hurriedly. As I approached, I noticed it was a young man, probably in his early 30's

"W..who's t..there?" the man said with fear as he stared at the darkened area where I was

When he finally saw me, he sighed in relief.

"You scared the hell out of me, miss" he said as I approached him "I thought I was going to be robbed"

At that moment I felt my fangs growing larger and I smiled at him

His face paled and I saw an expression of absolute terror on his face, and who could blame him. We were a frightful sight when hungry or excited. Long fangs and bright shining eyes could scare anyone

He opened his mouth, ready to scream and run away, but I moved at unnatural speed and grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth with my hand.

"No pain" I whispered in his ear as I held him firmly. My voice had the effect I desire for he stopped struggling

"No pain" I said again and I caressed his face, then I bit him and drank his blood

After I hypnotized him to make him forget, and once I made sure he was alright and on his way, I decided to head back

As I walked back to where the limousine was waiting for us, I felt as if someone was watching me. I looked around but felt no presence

Then, to my shock, I heard a beautiful voice inside my head "What are you?" the voice asked "In all my long years I have never seen a creature such as you"

Then, as if appearing out of nowhere, I felt a presence behind me and I heard light footsteps approaching

I turned and In front of me stood the most beautiful…being I had ever seen. She had long blond hair and blue eyes, and had the appearance of a mid 20's girl; however I could see wisdom in her deep blue eyes. She was dressed in a beautiful flowing dress that seemed to be made of moonlight

"Are you an.. alien?" I asked the fair being when I noticed she had pointy ears

Her sweet laughter sounded like a beautiful song and then she answered "I am a child of the earth, just like you" she said as she approached me. I could feel that this being was very powerful, even more so than the dark prince. Her body glowed with a faint silvery light and she was very tall.

"You are clearly human" she said with her deep voice as she stood in front of me "And yet I can't feel any life force in you"

Her eyes showed no fear, only curiosity "I watched you drink the blood of that man" she said "Is that the magic that allows you to keep your dead body still functioning?"

My surprise grew "How could she know this?" I wondered

I don't know why, but somehow I trusted her and gave her a brief explanation of what I was

"What are you?" I asked again "You already said that you are also a child of earth, but you are not human"

She sighed and said "You humans have forgotten the old tales and the ancient history of this world"

For a moment she seemed lost, as if remembering an ancient memory and then continued

"Your race has given us different names throughout history. Some called us Tuatha de Danann or Sidhe, others the fairy folk or elves. In more ancient times, we were called the first children of Illuvatar"

I felt confusion in my mind by this. It was already hard to grasp the concept of Aliens, and now I was told that beings that belonged to children's tales also existed. I remembered the words of Vladimir when he told us that other supernatural creatures had come to this city

"We call ourselves the Eldar, which means people of the stars"

I interrupted her "People of the stars? Does that mean that your kind are indeed aliens"

She laughed again and continued "No child, I told you before that we are also children of this world. That name simply means that when we first woke up on this world, the sun and the moon had not yet appeared, at least on our realm"

I stared at her and asked with confusion "I don't know much of the history of earth, but when I woke up a professor gave us a brief explanation of planets and stars. I'm pretty sure he mentioned that the sun was older than the earth, and both were billions of years old"

"I understand your confusion" she said "In the few times I have crossed to the human's world, I have studied all the theories on how the universe has evolved since the big bang, and how life evolved on earth, but those laws only apply to the history of one of the two realms of this world"

I asked "Two realms of this world?"

"You must understand that there are two separate realms on this world, one governed by magic, and one governed by the laws of physics, as its with the rest of the universe. Elves woke up in the realm of magic, while men are creatures of both realms"

She looked at me and said "Even the magic used to create your condition has its source on that hidden realm"

She proceeded to tell me how an English writer of the 20th century by the name of John Ronald Reuel _Tolkien_ received information from her kin and wrote many books based on the old days

"We were already old when the first human woke" she confessed "But now I feel young again with the recent news"

I asked "You have come to meet the aliens?"

She smiled and answered before disappearing "we shall meet again, young one"

I stood there for a moment, still shocked by the meeting; I reacted only when I heard the voice of Laura

"Mina, what are you doing there?"

We went back to the park's entrance and found my other sisters already waiting for us

"What took you so long?" Erzsébet asked "did you have a hard time finding a mortal?"

I stared at all my sisters and said "Let's go back to the mansion; I have something to tell you".

Meanwhile, on an alien spaceship that was approaching earth, a meeting was being held by the three crew members.

"I still don't understand your interest on this planet, ?" a tall alien with black hair and pointy ears said

"Not advanced enough to attract the attention of our governments or any private company"

Klaatu, who had the appearance of a human being, answered to the Vulcan

"You are wrong, Spock. I have been checking this planet for several years and I think the company will benefit from commercial exchange with earth"

Spock raised his eyebrow and answered "I doubt it…what really intrigues me is how the company got the permission to establish first contact with this backwards race?"

Klaatu smiled and answered

"You know I do have high connections in the government of my planet…there was also a little curiosity as humans are the first species that have a physical appearance similar to us that we have encountered; perhaps a similar evolutionary path, as both our planets share the same characteristics"

He took a deep breath and added "Two years ago I decided to make my presence known when the company finally got the permission. Unlike most planets, earth does not have a single government but many different nations, so I had a meeting with the leaders of all their nations in a place called the United Nations. Relations have already been established with each nation"

"Then why are we here? And why did you bring me to this boring planet" the third alien asked. She had the appearance of a 15 year old girl with blond hair.

Klatuu smiled at his daughter and answered

"Well, I wanted to spent some time with my daughter, and I also thought you might find interesting to learn more of other cultures…And to answer your question, the purpose of this visit is to establish contact with earth's private companies, just as we did with the governments two years ago"

"But daddy" Alisha answered "lissi's party is in two days"

Klatuu sighed and answered "I promise you will be there"


	8. Where no man has gone

Mina's pov

"Elves?" was the only Word that Laura managed to say after the stunned silence in which they all were after I finished my tale.

I couldn´t help but wonder what else was out there.

"Do you think we will meet other… things besides the aliens in the meeting tomorrow?" Lucy asked all of us

Erzsebet answered as she sat on a chair and turned on the television

"I don't know" she confessed "But as always we must be ready….we have experienced some incredible things in the past few days"

The next night, as we readied for the big event, Vladimir told us

"Remember, you are to pass as my nieces"

We all dressed in dark clothing, which looked good on us as it was a contrast to our paleness; surprisingly I found out some of the modern clothing resembled old fashioned Victorian clothing

"It's a retro movement" Vladimir explained "Some high fashion designers have been inspired by the Victorian period"

Although Vladimir had explained us that the event was mostly a meeting for the private sector, there was a heavy security surrounding the adjacent area.

"The meeting will take place on a mansion outside L.A. That mansion belongs to Lord Lawrence Talbot, the richest man of the world and one of the prime organizers of this event" he had previously explained to us

I stared at Lucy and saw the same confusion I was feeling, for we knew a Lawrence Talbot in our time

"Must be a descendent" I heard her whisper to me

"Umm what?" both Anastasia and Laura asked with curiosity

"We knew a lord Lawrence Talbot back in 19th century England…I suppose this one has to be a descendent" I explained

We didn't give that much of a thought after that, as we just kept staring at the limousine's windows as we passed through the streets of Los Angeles towards its suburbs and then the rural area. We knew we were coming close to Talbot's mansion as we noticed the presence of the US Army

I marveled at the strange equipment the soldiers and police wore, so different from the armed forces of my own time. We passed many checkpoints where the military personal checked our papers.

Finally we reached a point where we took a detour from the main road and then passed thought the gates of Talbot´s property. After a while I saw the mansion in the distant,

"My God, it´s the same mansion" Lucy exclaimed. She stared at me and added "Apparently Talbot´s descendants also brought their family mansion from the English countryside"

I said nothing as I watched the dark manor, however it was nothing compared to what I felt next.

I felt my eyes widening as I saw what it had to be the alien ship hovering over the mansion

My suspicions were confirmed by Vladimir

"Behold, my ladies, the reason of this meeting"

Even with all the strange things we have seen so far in the modern world, nothing could compare to that strange shining object; It seemed to be made of a metal so shiny that it reflected it´s surrounding area, making it almost invisible from a distance.

After parking the car, we entered the mansion after giving our invitations to the officers guarding the entrance. There were a lot of people from all over the world; as I could smell all sort of delicious blood flowing through their veins

We followed Vladimir to a chair that was reserved for our organization. Just as I was about to seat, I heard the familiar beautiful voice again

"We meet again, child"

I turned and saw the same beautiful being I met at the park, only this time she wore modern looking clothes and had her ears covered.

I bowed my head and replied "I'm afraid we didn't introduce ourselves at our first meeting"

The elf laughed and answered

"My name is Galadriel, Mina"

I saw that my sisters were staring at the fair being with fascination

"I..is she the elf?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide with wonder

I didn't answer at first, my mind wondering how she knew my name

"Yes, she is" I answered

After the proper introductions, we found out that she was here by herself, as she was the only one of her kind that decided to come. I invited her to stay with us at our table and she accepted. After a little chat, where she told us more of her people and where she came from, out attention was diverted towards the entrance of the hall, as the organizers came in fallowed by three aliens. Although two of them looked human, I could easily sense they were not, one was a middle aged man with light brown hair, while the other had the appearance of a teenaged blond girl. The third alien was a tall man with dark hair, arched and upswept eyebrows and pointy ears, his face remained a mask of emotionless even as al the people gathered in the hall stared at him. I smelled his blood and found it very different from anything I have sensed before.

My eyes were upon them, curiosity overwhelming me as I used all my senses to try to find out more about them, but then my senses picked up something strange. There, just walking right behind them entered a man I recognized immediately

"No…it can't be him" I thought. I stared at Lucy and noticed that she also saw him.

I may have thought he was just a descendant of Lawrence Talbot that had a strikingly similar appearance, but there was something else about him which made me…nervous, for it was a feeling similar to what I felt being close to a vampire, and yet also different

The meeting went on without anything notorious to mention; I was mostly wondering what the nature of Lord Talbot was. He didn't react when we were introduced to him, nor did he show any sign of recognition in case he was the same Lawrence Talbot I knew so many years ago. He was definitely human, but just like my sisters and I, there was something else, something like vampirism but of a different nature. Unlike us, I could tell he was alive but I could sense a preternatural presence.

Of the aliens, although similar to humans, I could tell they were not when I saw and "felt" them.

Elves, Vampires, Mortals, whatever Talbot was, we all possessed things in common, things which made me feel we were all creatures of this world. I sensed the aliens as beings of a completely different origin, although I must say that, unlike vampires or elves, they were natural creatures like mortal humans.

Later that night, most of the guest have left and we were about to leave. We, along with Galadriel, were waiting for Vladimir that was out of the mansion talking with a friend of his.

"HEY…WHAT THE HELL?"

We all turned when we heard a woman´s scream coming from the entrance of the mansion. I felt surprise and fear and I saw some kind of blue…energy covering the entrance completely.

I heard screams as people went to the windows and found that the mansion was completely surrounded by that blue energy; we could not see what was happening outside.

We all turned to stare at the aliens, for it was obvious this had something to do with them. The grim expressions on their faces didn´t help at all to tranquilize the people.

It was Talbot who asked what was on our minds

"Klaatu, what is happening" he asked, his voice strangely calm

The alien stared at al of us, then looked to a group of people who were about to throw some furniture against the blue wall and said

"Don't waste your time; that energy field is unbreakable by any sort of technology you posses, and even if you do, we are no longer on earth.

People started murmuring and screaming, I watched my sisters and saw fear on their faces, even Galadriel seemed shocked by the recent news.

"What do y." Talbot didn´t finish his question, as a translucent figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the hall"

Silence filled the room at the sight of a blue skinned alien.

"Veellos..I should have known" the alien named Klaatu said "What is the meaning of this? Do you know how many laws you have broken by abducting us and the earthlings?"

The alien girl added "He is not man enough to come here himself so he sends a hologram"

The blue skinned alien ignored her and added

"Laws? I have the authorization of your government to do this. My company has recently acquired the rights to establish commercial routes on this system" he said with a unnerving smile "But don´t worry, I'm taking you back home…in fact I will put that strange building and your ship in your own property" he stared at the rest of us and added

"So it was true then… earthling do have the same appearance as your own species" he then addressed us and said "It´s very unfortunate that you also had to come along, but the tracking bean only works on buildings and ships, not individuals…I can assure you that I will return you back to earth as soon as possible"

Then the image disappeared


	9. Moon child

Mina's pov

When the image disappeared, what was the name the alien girl used? I think it was hologram, I stared at everyone and saw a confusion and fear. Even thought I inherited the dark prince's abilities and position, I couldn't help but stare at the oldest of us all, hoping to see some sort of advice or plan, but Erzsebet just seemed to be as confused as everyone else, although there was no fear on her expression or in any of my sisters and Galadriel. For a moment I considered turning into mist and try to pass that energy barrier, but soon discarded the plan, as it would expose us, and even if I managed to pass thorough the barrier, we were no longer on earth but in space .

"What would the dark prince do in this situation?" I couldn't help but wonder. This was a situation that escaped my wildest dreams, so after a moment I decided to wait and see what would happen.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the voice of Talbot

"I don't understand" he said to KLaatu "If we are no longer on earth, then why the electricity is still working in my mansion…there wasn't a blackout"

The alien made a sad smile and answered

"The tracking beam does that, it's made mostly of pure energy and it can interact with any machine, no matter how primitive they are…However the power will be cut once the tractor beam put us in my planet"

He took a long look at all of us and added with a more reassuring smile

"Don't worry, I will take care of all of you…my wife and neighbors will be delighted to have visitors. You will all be staying at my place as there are rooms for everyone".

What Talbot said next surprised me

"I thank you for your hospitality, but I must decline your invitation" as not to hurt Klaatu's feeling he quickly added

"Blackmoor mansion is very old and I can manage with candle lights and all the technology the 19th century has to offer….I am some sort of an eccentric and sometimes I do cut all the power of my house and live as my ancestors once did"

What he did next only raised my suspicious that he was the Lawrence Talbot I once knew, for he stared right at me and my sisters and added

"Perhaps a few of our unfortunate traveling companions will join me on my eccentric ways…Blackmoor rarely receives any visitors " he stared deeply at each of us and then returned his attention to the aliens

"Thank God most of the guests have already left and only some 20 people had been kidnapped…who is this veellos? I suppose he is not from your planet?"

Klaatu took a deep breath and answered "Veellos has no interest on earth as he sees no commercial interest in your planet; however his company has been interested in this sector of the galaxy for many years as some of the planets are rich in minerals. Both our companies are rivals and we have been struggling in a legal battle to own the rights of this sector…once we land, I will visit my own government, and even the planetary federation if necessary, to protest for this atrocious act"

Talbot asked again "But meanwhile, what are we going to do once we land?"

It was the other alien, Spock if I remember correctly, who answered

"You will have to wait until the legal battle is solved"

Klaatu quickly added as he noticed the worried glances some of us had

"Don't worry; as vellos said, the mansion will be put on the grounds of my own property, which is pretty big. You all can stay in my house, or if you prefer on Blackmoor mansion"

The rest of the journey was spent mostly in silence, as all the people trapped inside the mansion went to sit to their chairs and wait.

I, as well as my sisters and Galadriel kept to each other, talking low of our concerns.

"How long are we going to stay here" Laura said "You all realize that we still have our…needs and there are only some 15 humans with us in the whole planet…what if the aliens find out about us"

Lucy put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and added

"I doubt the aliens would find us odd at all if they ever see our true nature…if you think about it, they have never heard of our kind, and probably they have seen weirder things in all their travels…if you ask me, we only have to be more careful around our own people, not the aliens"

Two hour passed until finally the hologram appeared again

"You can exit this building" The blue skinned alien said, and with no more protocol, he simply disappeared.

I saw as Talbot rose from his chair and went to the entrance; the rest of us quickly fallowed him.

He stood in front of the door, his face showing a little hesitation, but he finally opened and we all noticed there was no longer the green energy

Curiosity overwhelming me, I went out of the mansion with the rest

"Oh my God" I whispered as I stepped out and took my first glance at the outside world.

It was mostly a forested area, with trees very different from earth's vegetation. The temperature was nice, not hot or cold. But putting aside the vegetation and the weather, what made me exclaim in surprise was the strange building that literally floated above the ground. It seemed to be made of the same shiny metal the ship was made of. There were others there, but I didn't know what to make of them as I didn't feel any life on them and seemed to be made of metal also…perhaps an advanced kind of machine.

Apparently I was not the only one confused by their presence, for Klaatu stood in front of us and explained

"These androids are my personal servants and they will help you with any need you have"

It was daylight, but to my relief, I found that this world's sun didn't bother as much as our own. Dracula once told me that it was not the light itself but the fact that as a symbol of light, the sun would weaken creatures of darkness.

It had to be so, because as Klaatu mentioned briefly on the journey when he explained the kind of planet that was our destination, his planet's sun was the same kind of star as earth's, and yet it felt differently.

"This is strange" I heard Galadriel whispering tome "I can't feel any kind of magic around us"

She stared at me and added

"On earth I can sense magic everywhere.. Stronger on my realm, but still present on the mortal realm, yet I sense none in this world"

"Perhaps there are no supernatural presences here" I answered.

Klaatu's voice caught our attention again

"Are you sure you don't want to come to my place?" he told Talbot

Talbot answered "I thank you for your hospitality, but I got everything I need"

Klaatu added "at least accept some of my androids, as I am sure a mansion as big as your needs maintenance and none of your personal came".

Klaatu then left, fallowed by his daughter, Spock and most of the humans. Only Galadriel, my sister and I stayed with Talbot.

When we were left alone, Lord Talbot made a gesture to us to fallow him inside the mansion.

After we entered, we went to the main hall, where Talbot took a bottle of wine and served several glasses, and then he turned and faced all of us. What he said next surprised me for his bluntness

"How is possible that you are still alive and had not aged a bit, miss Murray? Or you miss Westenra" he said turning to Lucy.

I smiled at him and answered "Perhaps I should ask the same question, Lord Talbot"

He drank a little of his wine, and after putting the glass on a table, he continued

"I am a man that has learned to watch out for himself without help, but right now I am in a situation where I can't control things"

He took a moment, as if what he was going to say next cost him a lot of effort

"I assume you already know that I have a…peculiar condition…just as all of you" what that he looked at each of us

At this, Laura and Erzsébet seemed uncomfortable, and he seemed to notice this, for he added

"We will have to help each other in this situation and with that we have to be completely honest with each other….so what are you"

His bluntness took us again by surprise, then he turned his attention towards Galadriel and asked "And also what are you?"

She smiled at him and then surprised us all as she spoke with her fair voice

"Your kind calls us Elves, child of the moon"

Talbot's face paled "H..how?"

Galadriel continued "I have never seen one of your kind before, but I can sense the Moon's influence in you".

He stared at all of us and after brief moments he said

"You have told me what you are, so I must return the favor" he took a fe moments and began to recite a verse

_"Even a man_ who is _pure_ in _heart_ and says his prayers by night, may b.."

He was interrupted, when Erzsebet finished the verse

"Become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright"

Silence filled the room, just broken by Erzsebet

"I remember those words from the old days" she said and stared at Talbot with sympathy

"You have a terrible curse upon you, perhaps even more dramatic than our own condition


	10. strange words

Mina's pov

Right after Galadriel finished her story, It was Erzsebet who told our tale, with the occasional intervention of my other sisters or myself.

Just as when Galadriel spoke, Talbot's expression remained neutral, nor did he show any sign of disbelief, perhaps his own condition prepared him to accept anything that came in his way.

"Vampires" he said calmly and looked at me

"elves, the magical realm" he continued as his calm gaze was directed at Galadriel

"I have traveled far and wide in the entire world looking for ways to control my…curse" The last words he said it slowly as he shut close his eyes.

"In those travels I have seen all sort of fantastic and wondrous things…all those things and my own condition had taught me to accept that reality is much more complex than what modern science has discovered"

We talked a bit more, and we agreed to help each other in any way we could. I was pleasantly surprised that blackmoor mansion was indeed fully functional with the technology available when I was still alive. As night fell we lighted candles. The lack of servants was supply with our unnatural speed as we prepared the mansion to be habitable for the days we would stay on the planet.

Finally, when we finished, Alexander lead us to our rooms.

"You will find anything you need in your rooms" he explained

When I was alone in my room, I opened the closet and was pleasantly surprised to find Victorian clothing in perfect condition. I changed myself and went out of the room to find that my sisters have also changed to more "proper" clothing. Even Galadriel had changed her own clothing and looked radiant.

"Just like in the old days" Lucy approached me and smiled "even if we are not on earth anymore"

Talbot invited us to join him for dinner. He served us wine as it was the only thing my sisters and I could take.

"There is something that worries me" Talbot said and took a moment to continue "Tomorrow is going to be full moon on earth and I'm not sure how it will affect me now that I'm no longer on earth"

This surprised me "I'm sure nothing will happen…moonlight can't touch you here".

He made a sad smile and added "perhaps, but I am not taking any chances…I was in L.A. when we were taken out of earth, so I'm guessing whatever magic controls the curse would still be…working on that time zone"

He stared at his watch and added "I have a secret room in the basement that I use for those nights…my butler, who is also my most trusted friend and confident isn't here to help me in these situations"

He stared at all of us and said "I need you to lock me up in about 12 hours" he stared at a rifle that was hanging on the wall, just above the hearth

"that riffle is loaded with silver bullets in case of extreme need"

I interrupted him "We will not resort to that, Lawrence" I said "Everything will be alright"

Aliens POV

"And you had to go?" a blond haired teen boy asked

Alisha rolled her eyes "My father insisted" she explained

"He said" and then imitating her father's voice she continued "Well, I wanted to spent some time with my daughter, and I also thought you might find interesting to learn more of other cultures"

Her friends laughed at this and a red haired girl asked

"And what did you learn from those savages?…what was the name of the planet again?"

Another boy, with long brown hair, said "I just can't believe some of those earthlings are staying in your house.

Alisha laughed and replied

"Well they are not that bad or primitive" she explained "And the place I was, was pretty cool actually. It was very dark and somber, unlike anything I have ever seen"

This was something that had caught the girl's attention, for her home world was mostly a water world, and the only continent, which was the equivalent to the size of Australia, was located on the equatorial zone. That meant that no buildings, not even the old ones that were still preserved, had any resemblance to that English manor that was built to endure the cold English weather. The dark tones and atmosphere was something that impressed her

The red haired Girl, whose name was Lissi, asked with a little curiosity

"You said that that freak of Vellos brought the whole place here…I wonder how the authorities permitted that"

She was interrupted by the blond boy

"I have an Idea..why don't we go to your place and you show us that building…and perhaps you can introduce us to some of these..humans"

"That is an excellent idea" Alisha beamed

Lissi asked "By the way, what is that thing you have been holding all this time" the girl asked when she noticed a piece of paper her friend was holding.

"This" Alisha showed the paper "It's just something that one of the humans said to my father…it was really weird, as he came to him in private, but I was also in the room so I heard what that old man said…I wrote it down because it really makes no sense and I have tried to find any meaning to it".

The brown haired boy asked

"And what does it says"

Alisha read

"Darkness descends upon the land, to wrap the world in night black embrace.  
The restless dead stir in their ancient tombs, and creatures born of shadow rise to quench their savage hungers. Whispers echo from the crypt, beckoning with a promise of a dark desire. And those who heed their call are forever lost in the night"

All those present felt a strange chill as their friend read the words


	11. eerie feelings

Author's notes: the planet's name is Naboo

The night was still young when the young aliens left Lissi's house. They stopped on one of the boys home to pick up a blue skinned girl that was staying in his home as part of a cultural exchange program.

Her home planet, Pandora was as advanced as Naboo, but the inhabitants, the Na'vi, still possessed a deep connection to the natural world and unlike most other races, they had a strong spirituality.

They chatted animatedly during the journey, but as the ship flew closer to Alisha's home, Alyara, the Na'vi girl, began to feel something strange.

"What is wrong?" the blond haired boy asked as he noticed the expression on her face.

"Uhmm, nothing, nothing" she replied.

Lissi, who was flying the ship, said

"Well that is weird"

The others noticed that a storm was coming this way from the mountains ahead. Although not an unknown event, it was still very rare that type of weather on the planet.

The ship landed inside Alisha's home and she wanted to introduce some of the humans to her friends, but one of the androids told them that all of them were already sleeping, so she decided to go outside and show them the mansion

"How strange, mist on this time of the year" She thought as she noticed a dense mist that seemed to come from the nearby woods.

As she stepped out of the house, The Na'vi girl couldn't help but feel something eerie on the atmosphere; the mist, the storm that was slowly approaching and the cold wind had that effect, but she didn't give it much thought as curiosity filled her when they approached the strange building

For a brief moment the dark silhouette of the Mansion was illuminated by lightning; the rumble of thunder could be heard rolling through the mountains as foreboding dark clouds overhead obscuring the already dark sky.

"It's so…"

The blond haired boy didn't have the words to describe the strange structure, so different from anything he had ever seen on Naboo or any other planet. It was dark and imposing.

The five teens stood in front of the mansion in silence, watching the details of the dark yet beautiful structure.

"It is a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The deep voice startled all of them. They turned and Alisha recognized lord Talbot immediately, although his clothes were strange.

"Sorry" she said as she activated the universal translator, and motioned her friends to do so.

Talbot smiled and said again.

"That technology is marvellous…I said that it's a beautiful night"

After the introduction were made, Alisha asked

"What are you doing here?"

Talbot replied

"Oh, it has always been my costume to take long walks during the night; I also wanted to see the surroundings"

He looked briefly at his mansion and said

"Do you want to come inside?"

A few moments later, Alisha's friends looked in wonder the interior of the mansion. The fact that it was illuminated by candle light only added more mystery to the atmosphere.

Laura was the last to return; they had all drank from the sleeping mortals and returned to Blackmoor mansion.

When they "felt" that visits were coming, they were already in the main hall. Mina and Erzsebet, each holding a cup of wine, were sitting in front of the chimney looking at the fire. Lucy and Galadriel were looking at the books in Alexander magnificent library, filled with tomes that mostly dealt with the supernatural. Laura and Anastasia were talking in whispers.

The door of the hall opened and Lord Talbot came inside fallowed by the aliens. Alyara, who had felt something strange about Talbot, now looked with wide eyes at the other "humans". She had met many different species in both her homeworld and in her travels, but none felt as these. There was something about all of them that she simply couldn't describe. The only thing that kept her calm was that she "sensed" no evil. However there was a "darkness" about most of them, with the exception of the tall blond, who, unlike the other, seemed to radiate light.

"May I introduce you some of my guests" Talbot said as Lucy and Galadriel were the first to approach them.

"They are so pale" Lissy whispered to Alisha


End file.
